Christopher Hume surveys Toronto's "mid-rise crisis" and asks why the city has made it nearly impossible to build "the urban residential form par excellence."
Bemoaning the dearth of six- to eight-storey development, Hume blames overzealous NIMBYs and the "outdated and excessive parking requirements, emergency exit regulations and construction techniques that make the economics of mid-rise so tough."
Hume speaks with architect Roland Rom Colthoff, whose firm RAW Design has a number of mid-rise condos in the works, and more on the horizon, about the struggles of working with the city and the growing demand for the housing type.
"There's an explosion of interest in mid-rise right now," he [Colthoff] insists. "The price of condos makes these projects viable. Plus there's a cultural shift going on; there are new ideas about sociability in the city. Mid-rise buildings are not for investors but people who want to be part of a neighbourhood and what's happening."
FULL STORY: Hume: Is Toronto having a mid-rise crisis?
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With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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